Kenny Baker – the british star wars actor who played the robot R2-D2 in six of the movies - has died at age 81, Baker's niece told the BBC on Saturday. Baker, who was three feet, eight inches tall, had suffered from a long illness, his relative said. In addition to the first Star Wars film in 1977, he also appeared in Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and three prequel editions.

R2-D2 The 57-year-old actor will replace the late Kenny Baker - who died in August last year aged 81 - as the iconic astromech droid for the upcoming instalment of the 'Star Wars' franchise, set to be released this December. Jimmy is no stranger to the sci-fi film franchise, having actually appeared as the droid in 'Star Wards: The Force Awakens' in 2015, although he remained uncredited as Kenny was named as the actor behind the costume. Speaking about his new role, Jimmy said in a statement ...

When the original R2-D2, Kenny Baker, fell ill in 2016, it became clear that he could no longer carry on as the iconic Star Wars droid. Baker was still present for all of R2's emotional moments, including during production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Baker died in 2016. Actor Jimmy Vee has been officially announced as the new R2-D2. Baker will take over the role, starting with the forthcoming Star Wars Episode VIII: The last Jedi.

For the first time ever, you can buy all of the "Star Wars" movies digitally through Xbox Video. Celebrate this release by looking through photos from each film. Digital release of all movies available for purchase and download on April 10th on Xbox Video. Darth Maul (Ray Park) and Darth Sidious

The British actor best known as R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" films, has died. According to his niece, Abigail Shield, Kenny Baker, who was 81, had been ill for the past two years with a lung condition. British actor Rahul Kohli said in a post: "You brought life to one of my favorite characters, thank you Kenny Baker. Rest in peace." According to his nephew and caregiver Andrew Myerscough, Baker died in his sleep Saturday morning.

On Sunday, Four "Star Wars" fan groups celebrated Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia at the san diego comic con. Many women dressed in Leia's flowing white gown and iconic twin buns. They talked about how much they were inspired by the character. One said she even walked down the aisle at her wedding to Leia's theme. an exhibit of fan art created after Fisher's death last year was included in the presentation. The fans also celebrated the life of Kenny Baker, the actor who played R2-D2.

Kenny Baker, Actor: Stage Door Canteen. Kenny Baker was born on September 30, 1912 in Monrovia, California, USA as Kenneth Laurence Baker. He was an actor, known for Stage Door Canteen (1943), The Mikado (1939) and At the Circus (1939). He was married to Geraldyne Louise Churchill. He died on August 10, 1985 in Solvang, California.

Watch videos & listen free to Kenny Baker: Goodbye Little Star, Jerusalem Ridge & more. There are two artists named Kenny Baker. 1. Kenny Baker (born June 26, 1926 in Jenkins, KY) is an American fiddle player best known for having the longest tenure of any of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys. Baker's jazz-inflected style has been a huge influence on subsequent bluegrass fiddlers. 2. Kenny Baker was born on 1 March 1921 in Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire and died 7 December 1999.

The British actor who played R2-D2 in the Star Wars films has died at the age of 81 after a long illness. Kenny Baker, who was 3ft 8in tall, shot to fame in 1977 when he first played the robot character. He went on to play the character in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as well as